Isra-Mart srl:DECC urges communities to embrace watermill renaissance

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Government asks communities and businesses to revive disused watermills to boost hydropower market

The government has today called on local communities and businesses to harness the power of their rivers and streams in a bid to boost the UK's nascent hydropower market.

Climate change minister Greg Barker urged communities to revive disused waterwheels and turbines, confirming they would be eligible for financial incentives through the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme.

In a bid to ensure projects are environmentally sustainable, the Environment Agency has also published a new hydropower guide, offering advice to groups looking to install turbines in local streams, weirs or rivers.

Speaking at Torrs Hydro scheme in the Peak District today, Barker described hydropower as a missed opportunity for the UK and urged firms and communities to investigate the potential of local waterways to generate electricity and money.

"There is more to renewable energy than just large wind turbines," he said. "We need to unlock the clean energy of our past as well as the future."

He reiterated that small-scale technologies qualified for feed-in tariffs giving them access to financial incentives based on how much energy they generate.

"Feed-in tariffs are here to stay and we confirmed last week that we don't want to change the tariffs until 2013 to ensure ongoing investment in new projects," he said.

Hydropower currently generates the equivalent of 1.4 per cent of the UK's electricity demand, but has the potential to contribute a further one per cent, according to DECC. That would be enough to power the equivalent of one million homes.

David Williams, chief executive of the British Hydropower Association, welcomed the government's attempt to reassure potential investors, but he advised that DECC should now move swiftly to clarify accreditation standards for hydropower installers to help ensure new projects prove effective.

"The position is still unclear on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme accreditation," he warned. "Hydropower currently falls into the same bracket as solar and wind systems, but it's more difficult to install because you're abstracting water from a stream or a river."